A commentary upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the…A commentarie upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the…

That by Gods Call, is not to be understood any extraordinary thing, but His signifying of His mind in an ordinary way, that such a mans removal from such a place, to another, is upon consideration of his gifts, upon comparing of the places, and the respecting of the state of the Church, a hopeful mean through Gods blessing for the further promoving of edification. 2. As an immediate and extraordinary Call was necessary for such officers in such a case; so proportionally is an ordinary Call by ordinary Officers, acting by ordinary Power, only necessary for ordinary cases, seeing in moral things ordinary Officers, are to do by their ordinary Power what extraordinary Officers did by their extraordinary Power. And if we will consider this practice, we will find it this far to be intended for imitation: For, 1. Although the Lord immediately reveal the Call; yet doth He follow His design in an ordinary way: not by thrusting out new Officers, which he might have done, if he had walked altogether absolutely and extraordinarily in this; but he doth it in a mediate way of providence, in the making use of some already called. 2. The circumstances seem so to be recorded, as if the Lord were giving the reason of calling some from Antioch, rather than from any other Church, to wit, because there was a considerable number in that place of fit qualified men; and that so in reason it were more agreeable for the good of the body, that some should be taken from them to supply the want of the other, rather than that others should be altogether destitute, or some removed from such places as might not so well spare: and there can be no reason of the mentioning of this, but to show the moral equity of this practice, that Ministers would be proportionated in the Church so as may be extensively for the good of the whole: and that where some places abound, and others have scarcity; the abundance of the one, should condescend to supply the other, and that not of the weakest or least able. 3. The Lord useth a mediate way of sending them by the Churches interposing of her Authority and Prayers, which He did not use in the sending of Apostles; nay, Matthias had no imposition of Hands; and this was because the election of Apostles was no way to fall within the compass of ordinary Church-power, nor to be followed.

That by Gods Call, is not to be understood any extraordinary thing, but His signifying of His mind in an ordinary way, that such a mans removal from such a place, to another, is upon consideration of his gifts, upon comparing of the places, and the respecting of the state of the Church, a hopefull mean through Gods blessing for the further promoving of edification. 2. As an immediate and extraordinary Call was necessary for such officers in such a case; so proportionally is an ordinary Call by ordinary Officers, acting by ordinary Power, only necessary for ordinary cases, seing in moral things ordinary Officers, are to do by their ordinary Power what extraordinary Officers did by their extraordinary Power. And if we will consider this practice, we will find it this far to be intended for imitation: For, 1. Although the Lord immediately reveal the Call; yet doth He follow His design in an ordinary way: not by thrusting out new Officers, which he might have done, if he had walked altogether absolutely and extraordinarly in this; but he doth it in a mediate way of providence, in the making use of some already called. 2. The circumstances seem so to be recorded, as if the Lord were giving the reason of calling some from Antioch, rather than from any other Church, to wit, because there was a considerable number in that place of fit qualified men; and that so in reason it were more agreeable for the good of the body, that some should be taken from them to supplie the want of the other, rather than that others should be altogether destitute, or some removed from such places as might not so well spare: and there can be no reason of the mentioning of this, but to show the moral equity of this practice, that Ministers would be proportionated in the Church so as may be extensively for the good of the whole: and that where some places abound, and others have scarcity; the abundance of the one, should condescend to supplie the other, and that not of the weakest or least able. 3. The Lord useth a mediate way of sending them by the Churches interposing of her Authority and Prayers, which He did not use in the sending of Apostles; nay, Matthias had no imposition of Hands; and this was because the election of Apostles was no way to fall within the compasse of ordinary Church-power, nor to be followed.